


Too Few To Mention

by Jadesfire



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-29
Updated: 2010-03-29
Packaged: 2017-10-08 10:06:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/75562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jadesfire/pseuds/Jadesfire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five things Jack didn't do, and one he's glad he did.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Too Few To Mention

**Author's Note:**

> For Karaokegal

Things Jack didn't do…

_Suzie/Ask_

You didn't work at Torchwood if you weren't already screwed up. It was practically on the application form, and Jack never dug too deeply at first. Generally, a couple of glasses of their chosen poison and a few understanding smiles teased the whole story out of his employees.

Suzie was a quiet drunk, slipping into her own world with barely a murmur. When Jack hooked her arm over his shoulder to guide her to the couch, she slumped against him.

"I don't forgive him," she slurred, before her head dropped again.

He didn't remind her of it in the morning.

* * *

_Owen/Listen_

Jack watched as Owen took the stairs out of the Hub two at a time. The man could be rude and obnoxious and generally impossible to live with, but it was the depth of feeling lurking under the infuriating exterior that always stopped Jack from sacking him. If he'd got it into his head to look into a forty year old murder, there'd be no stopping him.

A direct order might have done the trick, or taking some time from the main investigation, but it was probably better just to let it run its course. What harm could it do?

* * *

_Ianto/Shoot_

Owen's frantic message had brought Jack down the stairs at a run. He'd expected the machinery out of his worst nightmares and had even anticipated that one of his team might have fallen victim to it – where Cybermen went, casualties followed.

He hadn't anticipated Ianto's panic for the monster as well as her victims, nor the cold fury in his gut, working its way down his arm to the gun in his hand. The urge to shoot was almost too strong, but he fought it, needing intel and help to solve this. Everything else, including him, would have to wait.

* * *

_Gwen/Answer_

Jack stood silently, shotgun under his arm, as Gwen pleaded for the answers she needed. He knew there weren't any, but also knew that she wouldn't believe him if he told her. Madness was its own explanation, as was evil, and talking to the madman wasn't going to give her anything but more questions.

When they walked back to the car, she looked up at him, eyes wide and pleading, begging for an answer that he didn't have. Gently, he shook his head, watching her face crumple as he turned away. There was nothing he could say to help her.

* * *

_Tosh/Interfere_

Things had gone too far already for him to stop her. He should have said something when he felt her probing his mind. He should have asked her about it, asked if she knew what she was doing. If he'd known what was going on, maybe he could have stopped it before they reached this point.

But he hadn't, and he'd saved her life by breaking her heart. He had no right at all to stop her now and she'd earned the right to choose. With the gem crushed beneath her boot, maybe she had a chance to move on.

* * *

…and one he's glad he did

**Jack/Return**

He's halfway through disconnecting the drive system when he realises he doesn't have to. He could just punch in new co-ordinates and be on the other side of the galaxy before you could say 'banana.' It wasn't like this was his fault, and there was no way they'd find him again. The whole thing was supposed to be self-cleaning, but the next best thing was to let someone else do the cleaning for you. It'd be much easier that way.

His hands only hesitate for a moment, before finishing disabling the iso-morph controls and starting a scan for the others.


End file.
